Neural correlates of durable memories across the adult lifespan: brain activity at encoding and retrieval

Abstract

Age-related effects on brain activity during encoding and retrieval of episodic memories are well documented. However, research typically tests memory only once, shortly after encoding. Retaining information over extended periods is critical, and there are reasons to expect age-related effects on the neural correlates of durable memories. Here, we tested whether age was associated with the activity elicited by durable memories. One hundred forty-three participants (22–78 years) underwent an episodic memory experiment where item-context relationships were encoded and tested twice. Participants were scanned during encoding and the first test. Memories retained after 90 minutes but later forgotten were classified as transient, whereas memories retained after 5 weeks were classified as durable. Durable memories were associated with greater encoding activity in inferior lateral parietal and posteromedial regions and greater retrieval activity in frontal and insular regions. Older adults exhibited lower posteromedial activity during encoding and higher frontal activity during retrieval, possibly reflecting greater involvement of control processes. This demonstrates that long-lasting memories are supported by specific patterns of cortical activity that are related to age.